Cape Town — A group of 144 unemployed people have been provided with self-supporting skills by the Nyanga Job Centre, a pilot project established 18 months ago by the City of Cape Town.

The centre, located in old municipal offices in Nyanga, provided school leavers and unemployed people with skills in among others, radio and TV repairs, motor mechanics, panel beating, furniture production, catering, welding, bricklaying, plastering, painting and plumbing.

Councillor Simon Grindrod, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic and Social Development and Tourism said the latest statistics show that unemployment is highest among the youth in the city.

"One of their main problems is the lack of access to skills development, the most important building block in job creation," Mr Grindrod said.

The Nyanga Job Centre, he said forms part of the city's skills development efforts to equip school-leavers with a practical means of earning a living.

The first group of learners was recruited through an open and competitive process by Industries Education and Training Institute, an accredited training provider that has partnered with the city to implement this project.

Mansoor Mohamed, the City's Executive Director of Economic and Social Development said besides technical training, they are also taught how to operate their own businesses.

"The job centre objectives are to help them market their services, process orders, and assist with tendering and other support services," he said.

"Not only will they get excellent service at good prices, but they will also be supporting entrepreneurs in Nyanga and the surrounding areas.

"This job centre complements other highly successful skills training initiatives such as 'The Men on the Side of the Road' project in Durbanville, which is championed by private facilitators and operated country-wide," said Mr Mohamed.

A second job centre is being planned at the Strand as part of a public/private partnership between the Rotary Club, the Helderberg Chamber of Commerce, the Helderberg African Chamber of Commerce, and other NGOs..

Last week over a thousand Cape Flats entrepreneurs also received valuable business support through the city's voucher programme for small businesses.

The voucher programme is part of the city Council's business support strategy and is aimed at subsidising essential business start up services for historically disadvantaged entrepreneurs over the age of 35.

In a report tabled before the city's Mayoral Committee, it was noted that 1 323 entrepreneurs had benefited from this initiative since the first voucher was issued in April 2006.

During the past three years, the city's Directorate of Economic and Social Development and Tourism has allocated a budget of R4 million towards the programme.

The vouchers are issued through the Red Door facilities in Atlantis, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, the Mobile Red Door, as well as the Business Place eKapa agency in the city centre.

These agencies diagnose specific needs and refer existing and potential entrepreneurs to accredited business consultants.

Support services include assistance with feasibility studies, business plans, business health checks and business mentoring.

According to Mr Mohamed, the city aims to create an environment that will help entrepreneurs overcome formidable barriers of entry into the world of business.

"What is most encouraging is that beneficiaries have used the business skills they have acquired to successfully apply for loans from commercial banks.

"In this way, another R912 000 has been unlocked for small business development," said Mr Mohamed.

The city was the first local authority in South Africa to launch this unique business support voucher programme.

There are an estimated 60 000 SMMEs in Cape Town alone and this sector is important for job creation as well as an economic empowerment vehicle for previously disadvantaged people.